Tooth brush



Jan. 9, 1940- s. D. BURKINSHAW TOOTH BRUSH Filed May 31,- 1938 INVENTOR A-rfroRy EYS Patented Jan. 9, 1940 UNITED g 'roo'rn BRUSH v Sidney Dail Burkinshaw, "Brocksburg, Nebr.

/ Y Application May- 31,

'This invention relates to a' tooth brushand more especially to a rotary tooth brush.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a brush'ofthis character, wherein 5 the brush-proper is coupled-with a driver-orgear operated from a power shaft so that rotary motion will beimparted to the brush when in use for the cleaning of the teeth, the brush being readily separable and is coupled with a driver in 10 a novel manner. 7 Another object of the invention is the. provision of a brush of this character, wherein the tufted bristles of the brush are shielded so that only the bristles can have contact with the vision of a brush of this character, which is simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and efiicient in operation, readily and easily handled, being compact and possessed of but few parts 30 facture.

With these and other objects in view, the inve'ntion consists in thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing: 4 Figure 1 is a side elevation of a brush con- 'structed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof. Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view through the brush. 45 Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line"l-4 of Figure 3.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing, I 50 Referring to the drawing in detail, A designates generally a brush in its entirety constructed in accordance with the invention and comprises a head I from which extends a handle H, the head being preferably circular in contour and 55 has provided therein a recess 12 opening through A further object of the invention is the. pro

yet strong, durable, and inexpensive to manube hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention and 1938,. Serial No- 211,032 ,11Claim. (01.15 28) one side of the same while' within this recess-is fitted a gear housing l3 having a'removable cover Lat the open side of the recess in the head It], being threaded at l5 tosaid housing so that the cover cansbe readily removed when the, occasion ;"5

requires. At the side with which the cover plate I4 is fitted is arranged a disk-like cheek piece 16 counterseated atll in the side wall of the housing l2 and being inwardly next to the cover 14.

Externally threaded with the head ID as at [8 10 on the side of said head to which the recess l2 opens is a collar-like shield l9 having an internal, shoulder 20 against which works an annular flange 2| on a bristlestock 22 being of disk form and having tufted therein bristles 23 efiectinga a brush. These bristles 23 protrude through the collar-like shield I9, which concentrically aprons the group of tufted bristles 23 carried by said stock 22 so that contact of the stock with the teeth or the skin within the mouth or gums of a user ofthe brush will be avoided while the bristles 23 will act upon the teeth for the clean-' ing thereof. This stock 22 is rotatably held separably fittedwith the head l0 as will be apparent from Figure 3 of the drawing. The shoulder 20, which is annular, affords a, trackfor the flange 2| of the stock 22, being movable upon this shoulder. I Confined within, the'housing I3. is'a driving gear 24 hav a central hollow axle stud 25 formed externally with a flat faced clutching ter-- minal or tip 26 which is re'inovably seated in a correspondingly shaped socket 27 formed centrally in the; stock 22, so that when the gear 24 is rotated such motion will be imparted to the said stock. g e I Passed through the handle llis a driven shaft 28 having fitting with bearings 29 and 36, re-' spectively, mounted within said handle and this shaft at its inner end, which projects into the housing l3, has detachably fitted therewith a. pinion 3i meshingwith the gear 24. The handle II at its outer end accommodates a coupling connection 32 between the shaft 28 and a flexible driving shaft33, being operated-from any suitable power unit source, preferably an electric motor. I i

Built on the cheek piece I 6 concentrically about the stu'd'axle 25 is anoiling gland 34 having a lubricant chamber 35 for lubrication of the stud axle 25 in the workingof the gear 24.

Slidably keyed within the hollow stud axle 25 is a follower 36 having between it and the wall adjacent thereto of the housing l3 a bearing ball 5 31 while this follower 36 is acted upon by a coiled expansion spring 38 fitted within the hollow stud axle and this bearing ball 3? constantly urges the gear 24 in meshing engagement with the pinion 3| while also located between the said gear 24 and the wall of the housing [3 next thereto are antifriction bearings 39, being conventionally arranged for minimizing friction in the rotation of the gear 24.

When the gear 24 is rotated, being driven by the shaft 28 which receives its power from the shaft 33, will cause the rotation of the bristle stock 22 and under rotation thereof the bristles- 23 can play upon the teeth of a user of the brush for cleaning purposes, the stock 22 being shielded from contact with the teeth, the gums and the skin of a user by the shield 19, as before stated.

On removal of the shield l9' from'engagement with the head ID, the stock 22 can be uncoupled from the stud axle 25 and by the removal of the cover M from the housing l3 access may be had to, the interior of said housing for the removal of the gears 24 and 3| from within the same should the occasion require.

By the coupling 32 the shaft 28 can be sep-.

arated from the shaft 33, the said shaft 28 being confined within the handle I I.

What is claimed is:

A brush of the kind described comprising a head having a recess opening through one side thereof, a, gear housing fitting said recess and accessible through the open side of the same, a removable cover plate for said housing, a collar-like shield detachably joined with the head at the open side of the recess therein and havingan annular internal shoulder, a circular bristle stock next to the removable cover and peripherally engaged with the said shoulder for rotatable trackage thereon, bristles carried by said stock and extending through and beyond the collar-like shield, a driving gear rotatably fitting within the housing and having a central stud axle separably coupled in the bristle stock and extending through the removable cover, a driven pinion within the housing and meshing with saidgear, and means within the stud axle and active upon the housing to maintain tensioned meshing engagement between the gear and said pinion.

SIDNEY DAIL BURKINSHAW. 

